Fire Burns Hard Rock Cafe in Puerto Rico

FRANK GRIFFITHS On Jul 12, 2003

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- A fire roared through the Hard Rock Cafe on Friday, collapsing part of the restaurant's roof and forcing the evacuation of dozens of people in San Juan's historic district.

The cause of the fire was under investigation, but media reports blamed either an overheated fryer or a faulty air compressor.

Clouds of smoke wafted through parts of old San Juan, a historic and tourist area in the U.S. territory's capital ringed by 16th-century forts, brightly colored Spanish colonial buildings and cobblestone streets.

Dozens of people from 11 buildings were evacuated. Two people, including one firefighter, were treated for smoke inhalation.

The fire partially collapsed the restaurant's dining room roof and destroyed the kitchen and administrative office, while smoke and water damaged other rooms.